Game Notes: Clemson vs. Duke

Nov. 26, 2001

Game 11: Clemson vs. Duke

Saturday, Dec. 1, 2001 1:00 PM (EST) Memorial Stadium (81,473) Clemson, SC

In the Rankings Clemson – Unranked Duke – Unranked

Television: None

Radio: Clemson Tiger Sports NetworkPlay By Play: Jim Phillips * Color: Mike EppleySideline: Rodney Williams

Series History: Clemson leads 29-15-1

Tickets: Available 1-800-CLEMSON

www.ClemsonTigers.com

Dantzler Seeking 2,000/1,000 Season Woodrow Dantzler has gained 869 net yards on the ground and thrown for 2,117 yards in the first 10 games of the season. He obviously needs just 131 yards rushing to become the first player in NCAA history to throw for 2,000 and rush for 1,000 in a season. Dantzler is the only player this year with a shot at the incredible accomplishment.

It would not be shocking for Dantzler to reach 131 yards rushing, as the graduate student has had six different games in his Clemson career in which he has rushed for at least 131 yards, including two this year. He had 164 at Georgia Tech and 184 at N.C. State this season. He has two other 100-yard rushing games this year and 10 in his Clemson career.

He had 947 rushing and 1,691 passing last season during the regular season. If he is to achieve the distinction he will have to do it in the regular season as NCAA records do not count bowl games. The closest to achieve the milestone is Brian Mitchell of Lousiana-Lafayette, who had 1311 rushing and 1966 passing in 1989. Mitchell has been in the NFL many years and is one of the top kick return players in the league.

Dantzler also is in range for many other accomplishments and records. He needs just five completions to break Nealon Greene’s single season record for completions. Greene had 180 in 1997 and Dantzler has 176 entering the Duke game. Dantzler also needs just 144 passing yards to break Greene’s career yardage record. Additionally, Dantzler needs just 20 yards rushing to join the 5,000/2,500 club. H already has the 5,000 yards passing and has 2,480 rushing in regular season play. Finally, Dantzler needs three touchdown passes to break Greene’s career mark. Dantzler has 33 and Greene had 35 between 1994-97.

Records/Accomplishments in Range for Dantzler against Duke:

Needs 131 yards rushing to become first player in collegefootball history to throw for at least 2,000 yards and rush for atleast 1,000 yards in the same year. Needs 20 yards rushing tobecome third quarterback in NCAA history to throw for at least5,000 yards and rush for at least 2,500 in a career. Needs 144yards passing to become Clemson’s career leader Needs 96 yardspassing to set Clemson single season passing yardage record Needsthree touchdown passes to become Clemson’s career leader Needs one200-yard total offense game to set Clemson single season record. Hehas seven to tie his own record set last year.

Dantzler Needs 20 Yards Rushing for 5,000/2,500 Club Clemson quarterback Woodrow Dantzler needs just 20 yards rushing to become just the third player in college football history to reach 5,000 yards passing and 2,500 yards rushing (regular season games only). Dantzler went over the 5,000 yard passing mark against Florida State and now 5,391 in regular season games. He has 2,480 yards rushing for his career and thus needs just 20 to reach the 2,500-yard rushing mark.

The only other quarterbacks in college football history with at least 5,000 yards passing and 2,500 rushing are current Indiana quarterback Antwaan Randle-El and former Louisiana-Lafayette quarterback Brian Mitchell. Randle-El has 7,275 passing and 3,852 rushing for his career at Indiana. He still has one regular season game left against Kentucky on Dec. 1. Mitchell had 5,447 yards passing and 3,335 yards rushing in his career that spanned 1986-89.

Dantzler now ranks 14th in NCAA history in rushing yards by a quarterback. Dantzler is third among active Division I players in quarterback rushing behind Randle-El and Nebraska’s Eric Crouch. Crouch’s season and regular season career is finished.

9. Stacey Robinson Northern Illinois 1988-90 1,724 2,72710.Jamelle Holieway Oklahoma 1985-88 2,154 2,69911. Bill HurleySyracuse 1975-79 3,398 2,55112. Michael Carter Hawaii 1990-93 3,5042,52813. Corby Jones Missoui 1995-98 3,697 2,53314. WoodrowDantzler Clemson 1998-01 5,391 2,48015. Chad Nelson Rice 1994-971,079 2,415

Clemson vs. Duke moved to Dec. 1 The Clemson vs. Duke football game, originally scheduled for Sept. 15 at Clemson, will be played Dec. 1 at Clemson Memorial Stadium. The contest was postponed due to the terrorist attacks on New York and Washington on Sept. 11. The game will kickoff at 1:00 PM and will not have any live television.

This will be the latest Clemson has played a regular season game since 1956 when the Tigers defeated Furman at Death Valley, 28-7 on Dec. 1. It will be just the sixth regular season game in the month of December in Clemson football history. The latest Clemson has had a regular season game is Dec. 8, a 1928 loss to The Citadel in Charleston.

The change in schedule means that Duke and Clemson will meet in the major sports of football and men’s basketball on consecutive days. The two schools will meet in men’s basketball at Cameron Indoor Stadium on Dec. 2. That will be the earliest conference basketball game for the Tigers since 1966. Clemson played at North Carolina to open the 1966-67 season on Dec. 1.

Clemson Schedule Ranked 20th by Sagarin Through games of Nov. 24, Clemson has played the 25th-toughest schedule in the nation according to the USA Today/Sagarin rankings. Clemson just finished a stretch of three straight games against top-25 teams in Florida State, Maryland and South Carolina. It marked just the second time in school history that Clemson has faced three straight top 25 teams.

This is the second year in three seasons that Clemson has faced a top-25 schedule under Tommy Bowden. The Tigers faced the seventh toughest schedule in the nation in Tommy Bowden first year. That year the Tigers faced three teams who were undefeated in the regular season and four teams who were ranked in the final top 12 of the AP poll.

Clemson has played well against ranked teams over the years. The Tigers already own a win over then ninth-ranked Georgia Tech on the road this year. Clemson has defeated at least one top 25 team all but one season (1995) since 1986.

Clemson Has Four Wins over Teams with Winning Records Clemson has four wins over teams with winning records this season. The Tigers have defeated a 6-5 Central Florida team, a 6-5 Wake Forest team, a 7-4 N.C. State team and a 7-4 Georgia Tech team. Three of the four wins over teams with winning records have come on the road.

This is the most wins over teams that have finished the year with winning records since 1990 when Clemson had a school record tying six wins over teams that finished the year with a winning record. Clemson also had six wins over teams with a winning record in 1989, Danny Ford’s final season. The chart below includes bowl games, and only includes wins over Division I-A opponents.

This year marks just the 10th time in school history that Clemson has defeated as many as four teams with winning records in the same season. It is just the ninth time Clemson has done it in regular season play.

Clemson Attendance Near Record Rate Clemson has averaged 81,667 fans per game for five contests at Death Valley so far this year. If the season ended today, that would be just the second highest average season attendance in Clemson history. The record is 81,750 set during the 1988 season. That year Clemson played Florida State and South Carolina at home. Clemson still has one home game left against Duke on Dec. 1.

That 1988 season is the only season Clemson has averaged 80,000 fans for a complete season. Clemson must draw 71,666 fans for the Duke game to finish the year with an average of 80,000 or better. Clemson has averaged more than 78,000 each of the first two years of the Bowden era.

Here is Clemson’s game by game attendance for home games so far this year: Sept. 1 – Central Florida: 81,482 Sept. 8 – Wofford: 79,156 Sept. 22 – Virginia: 77,791 Oct. 20 – North Carolina: 84,869 Nov. 3 – Florida State: 85,036 Total: 408,334 Average: (81,667)

Clemson Has Sold Tickets for Bowls Clemson needs to defeat Duke to become bowl eligible. If the Tigers become bowl eligible many feel the Tigers will be invited to a bowl. Clemson’s strong fan following has a lot to do with that. Clemson has been to a bowl game seven times in the last 10 years and in every case the Clemson athletic department sold at least 17,500 tickets. The totals listed below do not include Clemson fans who bought tickets directly from the bowl. Clemson has averaged 19,400 tickets sold through its athletic department for the last seven bowl games, or all its appearances since 1991. The high figure came in 1999 when 24,227 tickets were sold through the athletic department for the 1999 Peach Bowl game with Mississippi State. That was Tommy Bowden first year as Clemson head coach and the Tigers had a 6-5 record entering that game. Clemson sold 17,767 tickets to last year’s Gator Bowl game against Virginia Tech.

The record number of tickets sold for a bowl game came in 1977 when Clemson sold 36,600 to its Gator Bowl game with Pittsburgh. That was Clemson’s first bowl game in 18 years. Clemson sold 26,000 to the Orange Bowl in Miami against Nebraska. Many Clemson fans bought their tickets straight from the bowl that year.

Carson, Hafley in Top 30 in Tackles Clemson linebacker Chad Carson and safety Charles Hafley both rank in the top 30 in the nation in tackles. Carson ranks in a tie for 16th with Glenn Sumter of Memphis. They both have 123 tackles in 10 games so far this season. Hafley is 30th in the nation with an average of 11.3 per game. The Clemson graduate student has 113 in 10 games. Hafley is also 18th in the country in first hits with 7.8 per game, 78 in 10 games.

Carson ranked fourth in the nation in tackles last year when he averaged 13 tackles per game. He led the Tigers in tackles a year ago with 156. Hafley has 113 tackles this year, ahead of his 106 last year, which was a record for a strong safety. Hafley has played both free and strong safety this year.

Bowden Coached at Duke Clemson head Coach Tommy Bowden was the offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach at Duke from 1983-86. That was his third different assistant coaching assignment, but his first job as a coordinator. During that time, Duke was 0-4 against Clemson, including a 21-9 Tiger victory at Duke in 1985.

In Bowden’s first year as Clemson Head Coach, the Tigers defeated Duke in Death Valley 58-7. Last year, he improved his record as a head coach against Duke to 2-0 with a 52-22 victory. Clemson has scored 110 points in his two games against the Blue Devils.

Clemson vs. Duke Series Notes

Clemson holds a 29-15-1 lead in the series with Duke, a seriesthat dates to a 20-6 Duke win in Durham in 1934. Duke won the firstfour games of the series, all played at Duke. Duke never played atClemson until 1959, a 6-0 Tiger victory. While Clemson holds acommanding 15-4-1 lead in the series at Clemson, Clemson has anarrow 12-11 advantage in games played in Durham. Clemson has wonnine of the last 11 overall and 16 of the last 20. Duke lastdefeated Clemson in 1998 at Duke, 28-23. Duke has not won atClemson since 1980, a 34-17 Blue Devil triumph that was led by BlueDevil quarterback Ben Bennett. In Clemson’s nine straight wins overDuke at home since 1982 the Tigers have outscored the Blue Devils355-112, an average victory of 39.4 to 12.4. The closest Duke hascome to winning at Clemson since 1982 was the Tigers 29-20 overtimevictory in 1997. Rahim Abdullah ended the game by returning aninterception 63 yards for a touchdown. That was the first overtimegame in Clemson history and the only overtime game until thisyear’s win at Georgia Tech. Duke defensive coordinator Bob Trottwas Clemson’s defensive coordinator in 1990, the year Clemson ledthe nation in total defense. The Tigers finished that season with a10-2 record, the last time Clemson had a 10-victory season.

Last Year vs. Duke Clemson jumped out to a 35-0 halftime lead and coasted to a 52-22 in at Duke last year. Woodrow Dantzler eluded Duke defenders for 22 rushes for 134 yards and three touchdowns. He was again effective through the air, connecting on 11 of 19 passes for 174 yards and one touchdown. The game marked the third consecutive outing in which Dantzler had accounted for over 300 total yards, a feat never previously accomplished in Clemson history.

Dantzler’s first completion of the game came early on the team’s second drive. He found Rod Gardner for a 17-yard pass that put the Tigers’ in Duke territory. Dantzler handed off to Travis Zachery on three consecutive plays of 27, 4 and 1 yards. The one-yard plunge put Clemson in front 7-0.

Clemson held a seven-point lead at the end of the opening period. The Tigers rebounded with their biggest quarter of the year. Clemson scored 28 points in a 7:18 time span and opened at 35-0 lead by intermission. Dantzler rushed for his first score of the day on the opening play of the second quarter.

On Duke’s next drive sophomore cornerback Brian Mance returned an interception 57 yards to the Duke 4. Zachery made the score 21-0 on his second one-yard rushing touchdown of the day. Dantzler broke free for a 34-yard rush on the third play of the Tigers’ next possession. The Tigers scored their 28th point of the period when Dantzler found Morgan Woodward for an eight-yard Woodrow to Woodward touchdown.

The Tigers lost the shutout early in third quarter. Duke registered a safety after blocking a Jaime Somaini punt into the Clemson endzone. The Blue Devils gained only four yards before punting the ball back to the Tigers. The Tigers then marched 93 yards on a 13-play drive that resulted in a one-yard Dantzler touchdown run. Dantzler rushed five times for 49 yards on the drive. The Tigers led 42-2.

Duke bounced back with their first touchdown of the afternoon. Douglas escaped for a 41-yard touchdown run. Willie Simmons took over for Dantzler late in the third quarter. Simmons connected with Kevin Youngblood on a 38-yard touchdown pass.

Duke scored two touchdowns in the last two minutes of the contest. Douglas rushed for his second score of the day to complete a 10-play, 80-yard drive. Jackie Robinson fumbled the ensuing kickoff. Ben Erdeljac scored on a five-yard run to make the score 52-22 with 46 seconds remaining.

Keith Adams had an enormous day in the Duke backfield. The Butkus Award candidate recorded four tackled for a loss of 28 yards and three of those were sacks. Braxton Williams tallied two sacks for a loss of 10 yards.

Clemson veterans vs. Duke

Jovon Bush had a sack for nine yards in 27 snaps against Dukein 1999. Chad Carson has 16 tackles in three games against Duke,including eight tackles in 57 snaps in 1999. Woodrow Dantzler hscompleted 14-23 passes for 214 yards and two scores, and has 26rushes for 158 yards and three scores in three games vs. Duke. Hehas 49 plays for 372 yards in his career vs. Duke. He had 308 yardsat Duke last year in three quarters of play. Nick Eason had threetackles, including two tackles for loss vs. Duke last year. CharlesHafley has nine tackles and two PBUs in three career games vs.Duke. Aaron Hunt booted a 22-yard field goal and was 5-5 on extrapoints vs. Duke in 2000. Brian Mance had a 57-yardinterception return at Duke last year. He also had four tackles inthat 2000 game. Bernard Rambert has 12 carries for 47 yards in twoyears vs. Duke. Jackie Robinson caught his first career TD pass vs.Duke in 1999. He has five career catches for 59 yards against theBlue Devils. Braxton K. Williams has eight tackles, including twosacks against Duke. Both sacks took place at Duke last year. MorganWoodward caught an eight-yard scoring pass at Duke last year.Travis Zachery has 288 yards on 40 rushes and seven touchdownsagainst Duke in three years. That includes a 141-yard day againstDuke at Clemson in 1999. He scored a career-high four touchdownsthat day.

Clemson Seniors Close Out Regular Season vs. Duke Clemson’s 23 seniors will make their final appearance in Death Valley against Duke on December 1. The class includes some of Clemson’s top players in history. Woodrow Dantzler already holds 33 Clemson record and could set more on Saturday. Kyle Young has started 38 straight games and is a two-time All-American at center. Will Merritt and T.J. Watkins are three-year starters on three of the five Clemson offenses in history to average at least 400 yards per game.

The defense has been led by Chad Carson, a two-time academic All-American who ranks fifth in school history in tackles, and Charles Hafley, one of just two defensive backs in school history to have two different seasons of at least 100 tackles.

The class has been to two bowl games and a win against Duke could give them a third bowl bid. The class won three out of four games against South Carolina and defeated every other ACC team except Florida State. The win over a #9 Georgia Tech team in Atlanta was the highest ranked Clemson victory in 20 years, the second highest ranked road win in school history.

Six of the members of the class already have earned their undergraduate degrees and others will be receiving their degree in December and May.

Young Named All-American by Football News Clemson center Kyle Young has been named a third-team All-American by The Football News. It marked the second straight year that Young had been honored by the publication. The announcement was made Nov. 22. Young, a graduate student and a native of Clemson, was one of nine ACC players named to the three teams. Young was joined on the third-team offense by Maryland center Melvin Fowler and Virginia wide receiver Billy McMullen.

North Carolina lineman Julius Peppers and Maryland linebacker E.J. Henderson were named first-team All-Americans by Football News. The second team included Maryland running back Bruce Perry, Georgia Tech defensive end Greg Gathers, N.C. State linebacker Levar Fisher and Maryland punter Brooks Barnard.

Young leads the Tigers in knockdown blocks with 128, a figure that broke his own Tiger record. He has been Clemson’s highest rated blocker in nine of the 10 games this year, including eight in a row. He has led the team in knockdown blocks in six games.

A candidate for the Rimington Award, which goes to the top center in college football, Young has started 38 games in a row heading into his home finale against Duke on Dec. 1. A Summa Cum Laude graduate from Clemson last May, he will receive a National Football Foundation Scholarship in December, one of eight Division I players to receive the scholarship.

Facts on Clemson’s Youth Clemson has one its youngest teams in years. There is good leadership from the senior class of 18 players on the travel roster, but 34 of Clemson’s 44 players on the two-deep are slated to return next year. Out of the nine ACC schools, only Duke has more players expected to return with 35.

When it comes to defense, the youth notes considerable. Nineteen of Clemson’s top 22 are expected to return next season. That can be confusing because starting defensive tackle Nick Eason is listed as a graduate student. Most graduate assistants are in their final year of eligibility, but not Nick. He graduated in three years and had a red-shirt year athletically, so he still has another year and is expected to return. Clemson and Duke are the only players in the ACC with 19 of its top 22 players on defense expected to return next season.

Clemson has seven freshmen listed as first or second team on defense. Clemson and Wake Forest are the only ACC schools to have seven freshmen on their defensive two-deep. These freshmen, five of whom are first-year freshmen, see significant playing time.

Donnell Washington is a defensive tackle who has seven tackles for loss this year, tied for third on the team. Moe Fountain has six and is tied for fourth on the club. Ryan Hemby has started two games at cornerback and has 11 tackles, while linebacker Eric Sampson had 14 tackles off the bench to key the defensive effort in the win over Wake Forest. He has 31 tackles for the season.

Three of Clemson’s top five receivers are freshmen. Derrick Hamilton leads the team with 49 catches for 590 yards. Airese Currie is fourth on the team in receptions with 17 for 315 yards. His 315 receiving yards are a Clemson first-year freshman record, as is his team leading 18.5 yards per reception. Roscoe Crosby is tied for fourth on the team in receptions with 17 for 257 yards. The Clemson first-year freshman mark for total receptions is 21 so both Currie and Crosby have a chance to break that mark against Duke.

Hamilton Returns Kickoff 100 Yards for TD Freshman Derrick Hamilton returned a kickoff 100 yards for a touchdown in Clemson’s 37-20 loss at Maryland. He became the first Tiger in almost 100 years to take a kickoff return goal line to goal line for a score. The only other 100-yard kickoff return for a score on record is a 100-yard return by John Maxwell against Cumberland College in 1903. That game was played on Nov. 26, 1903 and was played in Montgomery, AL in what was considered to be the “Championship of the South”. That turned out to be John Heisman’s last game as Clemson Head Coach.

Hamilton really raced 103 yards on his return at Maryland, as he fielded the ball three yards deep in the endzone, raced up the Clemson sideline, then ran to the other side of the field and ran the remaining 50 yards down the Maryland sideline. It was just the eighth kickoff return for a touchdown in Clemson history, the first since 1990.

Ironically, the last time Clemson had a player return a kickoff for a touchdown was against Maryland. In 1990, in a game played at Baltimore Memorial Stadium, Doug Thomas ran 98 yards for a score on a kickoff return in an 18-17 win over the Terps.

Clemson once went 25 years without a kickoff return for a touchdown. Clemson did not have a kickoff return for a touchdown between Hal Davis’s 98-yard return against Georgia in 1962 and Joe Henderson’s 95-yard return for a score against Georgia Tech in 1987. Henderson’s return for a score broke a streak of 999 consecutive punt or kickoff returns without a touchdown, a 17-year streak.

Getting back to Hamilton, he finished the day with 153 yards on two official kickoff returns at Maryland. The 71.5 yards per return set a Clemson record. He broke Henderson’s record of 60 yards per return against Tech in 1987. His 153 yards in kickoff returns rank fifth best in school history for a single game. David Thomas had a record 174 yards on five returns at Georgia Tech in 1972.

Hamilton certainly contributed to Clemson’s record 218 kickoff return yards at Maryland. The previous best was just 188 yards on nine returns at Tulane in 1946.

Hamilton’s kickoff return is listed as a tie for third in school history for the longest play of any kind. There are two plays longer in the record books. Prior to the 1970s, plays could be recorded longer than 100 yards, based on where the ball was fielded in the endzone. In 1968, Richie Luzzi returned a missed field goal against Georgia 108 yards for a score. Two years later, Don Kelley was credited with a 102-yard interception return. Those would both be scored as 100-yard returns by today’s standards.

Hamilton is now second in the nation in kickoff returns with his 31.8 yard average. That is also on pace to shatter the previous Clemson freshman record for kickoff return average.

Hamilton Second in Nation Among Freshmen Receivers Clemson freshman Derrick Hamilton ranks second among all freshmen receivers nationally in receptions per game with 49 in 10 games for a 4.90 catches per game figure. Kelley Washington of Tennessee is the only other freshman ahead of Hamilton in terms of catches per game. Hamilton is trying to become the first freshman to lead Clemson in receptions since 1991 when Terry Smith had 34-480 yards. Hamilton has broken those previous freshman marks by a wide margin and now has 49 receptions for 590 yards. He ranks second in the ACC in catches per game and is seventh in reception yardage per game.

Hamilton is now looking to challenge the school record for all-purpose running by a freshman. He currently has 1,020 all-purpose yards to lead the team. Thanks to his 205-yard game at Maryland, he now needs just 127 all-purpose yard against Duke to break Terry Allen’s freshman record of 1,126 set in 1987.

Bowden Seeking Third Straight Bowl Bid Clemson needs one more victory to become bowl eligible. If the Tigers are selected for a bowl game in December, it would give Clemson three bowl bids in the three seasons Tommy Bowden has been the head coach. He would become the first coach in Clemson history to take the Tigers to a bowl game in each of his first three years as head coach.

Danny Ford had a 26-9 record through his first three full seasons as Clemson head coach, but his 1980 Tigers had a 6-5 record and were not selected for a bowl game. Ken Hatfield was 24-10-1 in his first three years, but his third Tiger team was 5-6 and did not go to a bowl. Frank Howard was 16-10-2 in his first three years, but he did not take the Tigers to a bowl game until his ninth season, 1948. Of course, there were very few bowl games in those days.

With one regular season game to go and perhaps a bowl game, Bowden trails only Ford, Hatfield and Josh Cody (1927-29) as far as total victories after three seasons. Cody was 21-9-1 for his first three years. Bowden is 20-14 in his first two years plus 10 games. Bowden finds himself in the same situation he was in his first year, having to win the last game of the regular season to become bowl eligible. That year he defeated South Carolina in the regular season finale, 31-21, to reach six wins and qualify for a bid to the Peach Bowl.

Dantzler Ranked Among Winningest Clemson QBs Woodrow Dantzler has a 17-11 record as a starting quarterback over the last three years, currently tied for eighth in total wins by a Clemson starting quarterback with All-American Bobby Gage, who led the Tigers from 1946-48.

Dantzler would tie Harvey White, an All-ACC performer from 1957-59 if he can lead the Tigers to victory over Duke. DeChane Cameron is next on the list with 19. The only 20-game winners in Clemson history are Rodney Williams (32), Nealon Greene (24), Homer Jordan (22), Mike Eppley (21) and Steve Fuller (21).

Dantzler has actually been a starter in 19 Clemson victories the last three years. However, one of his starts (vs. Duke in 1999) was as a wide receiver and he does not get credit as the starting quarterback in that game.

Clemson’s career leader in victories for a starting quarterback is Rodney Williams, who started 32 Clemson wins between 1985-88. That is a mark that could stand for a while since someone would have to average eight wins a year as a starter for four seasons just to tie Williams. Williams is tied with Chris Weinke of Florida State for the ACC record. The NCAA leader is Peyton Manning, who started 39 victories at Tennessee.

Dantzler Named Semifinalist for Davey O’Brien Award Clemson quarterback Woodrow Dantzler is one of 12 semifinalists for the 2001 Davey O’Brien Award. The Award, which is chosen by national sportswriters and commentators, goes to the best quarterback in college football. The announcement of the 12 semifinalists was made November 7.

Three finalists will be announced Tuesday, Nov. 27 by the National College Football Awards Association. It is the second straight year that Dantzler has been named a semifinalist for the award.

The winner will be announced at the Home Depot College Football Awards Show on Thursday, Dec. 6 at 9:00 PM in Orlando, FL. The winner and the two other finalists will be honored at the 25th annual Davey O’Brien Awards Dinner Feb. 18, 2002 in Fort Worth, TX.

Dantzler has been one of the top all-around quarterbacks in college football the last three years. This year he has 869 yards rushing and 2117 passing. He has completed 176 of 291 passes for 13 touchdowns. He is ninth in the nation in total offense, 48th in rushing and 48th in passing efficiency. He is the only player in the nation in the top 50 in rushing and top 50 in passing.

Dantzler has had at least 300 yards total offense in six of the last eight games, including a school record 517 yards at N.C. State on Oct. 13. He also had six touchdowns in that game, four passing and two rushing, tying the ACC record for touchdown responsibility in a game.

Two weeks ago, Dantzler was named one of 10 “leading candidates” for the Walter Camp Award. That honor is presented to he top player in college football.

Davey O’Brien Award Semifinalists Player School ClassDavid Carr Fresno State Sr. Eric Crouch Nebraska Sr. WoodrowDantzler Clemson Gr. Brandon Doman Brigham Young Sr. Ken DorseyMiami (FL) Jr. Jason Gesser Washington St. Jr. Rex Grossman FloridaSo. Joey Harrington Oregon Sr. Eli Manning Mississippi So. KliffKingsbury Texas Tech Jr. Kurt Kittner Illinois Sr. Chris SimmsTexas Jr.

Clemson Special Teams Have Been SpecialKopp Punting Improved Clemson is now 34th in the nation in net punting with an average of 36.9 yards per punt. That is second best in the ACC, trailing just Maryland. Junior Wynn Kopp is the prime reason for that fine state. The Georgia transfer has a gross average of just 39.4, but he has allowed just 100 punt return yards on his 40 punts this year. Only 15 of his 40 boots have been returned.

Six of the 10 games he has had a net punting average of 39.7 or better. His 36.9 net punting average is best by a Clemson punter since Chris McInally had a 38.3 net punting average for the 1995 season. All punters are compared to Clemson great Chris Gardocki, who now is in his 11th year in the NFL with the Cleveland Browns. Gardocki’s final season at Clemson, 1990, he had 39.3 net punting average for the season.

Clemson has allowed the fewest punt return yards in the ACC this year with 100.

Hunt Booted Game Winner Last Year Clemson placekicker Aaron Hunt will always hold a special place with Clemson fans. His 25-yard field goal with three seconds left gave the Tigers a 16-14 win over the Gamecocks last year at Clemson. It was the latest game winning kick for a Clemson player since 1987 when David Treadwell kicked a field goal with two seconds remaining to defeat Georgia in a game at Clemson.

Hunt kicked two field goals against Maryland and is 9-11 this season. He booted a 48-yard field goal against North Carolina, the Tigers only points of the day. The 48-yard field goal would have been good from over 50 yards and it was the longest of Hunt’s career. In fact, it was the longest by a Clemson kicker 1997 when David Richardson kicked a 48-yard field goal in the Peach Bowl against Auburn. Hunt has kicked the ball 42 times this year and it has gone through the uprights 39 times. The sophomore is 30-31 on extra points and 9-11 on field goals. He has four field goals of 43 yards or more after not making a field goal over 40 yards all of last year.

Hunt made 45-47 extra points last year and is now 75-78 for his career. He had made 44 in a row over before missing an extra point at South Carolina. His miss was from 35 yards as a Clemson player was called for taunting on Clemson’s 54-yard touchdown pass from Woodrow Dantzler to Airese Currie. His 45 made extra points last year set a Clemson record for a season. His attempt total tied the Clemson record. Hunt made 5 of his last 6 a year ago and is 9-11 this year, meaning he has made 14 of his last 17 over two years. He was 10-16 last year overall and is now 19-27 in two years.

Clemson Coverage Has Been Sound Clemson has been outstanding in kick coverage this year. When it comes to punt returns, the Tigers have allowed just 100 punt return yards all year on 40 total punt attempts. Only 15 of the 40 punts have been returned. When it comes to kickoff returns, Clemson is first in the conference in kick coverage, allowing just 20.3 yards a return.

Clemson has balanced special teams unit. Junior running back Bernard Rambert leads the team in special teams tackles with 10, while Rodney Feaster and Joel Gardner, a senior, has also been a big contributor on special teams. He threw the key block on Hamilton’s 100-yard kickoff return for a touchdown at Maryland.

Clemson Strong in Return Game Clemson is also outstanding when it comes to punt and kickoff returns this year. The Tigers rank 10th in the nation in kickoff returns. Brian Mance is 32nd with a 24.5-yard average, but teammate Derrick Hamilton has a 31-yard average on 13 returns and currently ranks second in the nation. He needs one more return this year to qualify for the final national stats. He had a 153-yard kickoff return game at Maryland, fifth best in Clemson history. Mance is also 22nd in the nation in punt returns with a 12-yard average.

Young Named National Football Foundation Scholar Clemson center Kyle Young has been named one of 16 recipients of a Postgraduate scholarship as selected by the National Football Foundation and College Football Hall of Fame. The announcement was made Thursday by Chairman of The National Football Foundation and College Hall of Fame Jon F. Hanson.

The Clemson graduate and starting center for the Tigers the last three seasons is the first Clemson football player to receive a scholarship from the National Football Foundation since 1978 when Steve Fuller was so honored.

Young is actually just the fifth Clemson football player to receive the honor overall. In addition to Fuller, the others are Jimmy Bell, a quarterback in 1964, Jimmy Addison, a quarterback in 1967, and Ben Anderson, a defensive back in 1972.

Young graduated Summa Cum Laude from Clemson last May and is taking graduate courses this year, his final year of eligibility. He had a 3.98 career GPA and had A’s in every course but one over his four undergraduate years. He has been a first-team Academic All-American each of the last two years and hopes to be a three-time selection this year. The Academic All-America team won’t be announced until December 3rd. He is also the President of Clemson’s LIFE LINE organization, the football team’s leadership group.

On the field, Young has led the Clemson offensive line in knockdown blocks this year with 90. He is a big reason Clemson has averaged over 400 yards per game in total offense and has had a positive effect on the play of Woodrow Dantzler, who ranks fifth in the nation in total offense heading into this weekend’s game with Florida State. Young was a second-team All-American on the field last year in addition to his first-team Academic All-America status.

“This is a great honor for Kyle and our football program,” said Head Coach Tommy Bowden. “Clemson has meant so much to Kyle and his family and I know this scholarship award is very meaningful to him. Having grown up in Clemson, he has been following or a part of Clemson football all his life. He is a role model for future Clemson football players and all student-athletes who are at Clemson now or will be in the future.”

Since 1959, when the first class was selected, 602 scholar-athletes have been awarded this high honor based on superior academic performance, outstanding football ability, strong leadership, and citizenship.

Each scholar-athlete will be awarded an $18,000 postgraduate scholarship and will be honored at the Foundation’s 44th Annual Awards Dinner held at the Waldorf-Astoria in New York , NY, Dec. 11, 2001.

Young will be joined at the Awards Dinner in New York by Terry Kinard, the former Clemson All-American who will be inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame on the same night. Clemson is the only school in the nation with a Hall of Fame inductee and a National Football Foundation Scholarship Award winner this year.

National Football Foundation Scholars for 2001Division I-A Selections Andre Davis-Virginia Tech-WR-Property Management-Niskayuna, NY Vernon Fox-Fresno State-SS-Sociology-LasVegas, NV Joaquin Gonzalez-Miami (FL)-OL-Marketing-Miami, FL Christopher Hope-Florida State-FS-Communications-Rock Hill, SC Jeff Kelly-Southern Mississippi-QB-Business Administration-Hattiesburg, MS Patrick Ramsey-Tulane-QB-Accounting & Finance-Simsboro, LA Tracey Wistrom-Nebraska-TE-Mathematics-Webb City, MOKyle Young-Clemson-C-Secondary Education-Clemson, SC

Clemson at Record Rate for First Downs Clemson has been racking up the first downs this year, at a record rate in fact. Clemson has 229 first downs so far this year, an average of 22.9 per game. Clemson had 26 first downs in the 41-27 loss to Florida State. It marked the fifth time this year that Clemson had accumulated at least 25 first downs in a single game. The high was 29 in the win over Wofford and the loss to Virginia. Clemson’s offense has been strong this year, among the best in school history if the season ended today. Clemson’s 402.8 yards per game would be fourth best in school history if the season ended today. Here is a list of how this team stacks up on a per game basis with great Clemson offenses of the past.

Carson Records 23 Tackles vs. Wake Forest, Moves to 5th on Tackle List Chad Carson had the top tackle game of his career and the third best single game in Clemson history in the victory over Wake Forest on Oct. 27. Carson had 15 first hits and eight assists in helping the Tigers hold down Wake Forest’s outstanding rushing defense. The Demon Deacons entered the game averaging 235 yards per game on the ground, sixth best in the nation. He was named the ACC Defensive Player of the Week for the second time in his career for that performance.

But, Carson and his teammates held Wake Forest to 193 on the day and 344 yards of total offense. It was the second lowest total offensive figure this year for Wake Forest. Carson had a lot to do with the run defense and he also contributed to the pass defense by intercepting a pass, his first career interception in 42 games as a Tiger.

Carson’s tackle total was third best in Clemson history. The only higher are the 27 by former teammate Keith Adams against South Carolina in 1999 and by Jeff Davis against North Carolina in 1980. That is pretty good company for Carson as both players were not only All-Americans, but also won ACC Defensive Player of the Year honors.

Carson now has 434 tackles for his career, fifth best in school history. He moved ahead of Robert Carswell, Adams and Randy Scott in his big game at Wake Forest. Carson now trails only Bubba Brown, Anthony Simmons, Davis and Ed McDaniel. Simmons and McDaniel are still in the NFL, while Davis played five years with the Tampa Bay Bucs.

Clemson Career Tackle Leaders 1. Bubba Brown, LB 1976-79 (515) 2. Anthony Simmons, LB 1995-97 (486) 3. Jeff Davis, LB 1978-81 (469) 4. Ed McDaniel, LB 1988-91 (489) 5. Chad Carson, LB 1998-01 (434) 6. Randy Scott, LB 1975-78 (382) 7. Keith Adams, LB 1998-00 (379) 8. Robert Carswell, FS 1997-00 (374) 9. Tim Jones, LB 1991-94 (338) 10. Henry Walls, LB 1983-85 (316)

Clemson Single Game Tackle Bests 1. Keith Adams 1999 vs. South Carolina (27) 2. Jeff Davis 1980 vs. North Carolina (24) 3. Chad Carson 2001 vs. Wake Forest (23) 4. Chad Carson 2000 vs. Georgia Tech (22) Jeff Davis 1980 vs. Maryland (22) Bubba Brown 1978 vs. Ohio State (22) Bubba Brown 1979 vs. N.C. State (22) 8. Henry Walls 1985 vs. Georgia Tech (21) Willie Anderson 1974 vs. South Carolina (21)

Clemson Offense Averages 415 Yards Under Bowden Clemson has a 20-14 record under Tommy Bowden and a consistent balanced offense has been a big reason. Over the nearly three years he has been the head coach the Tigers have averaged 415.5 yards per game in total offense. Clemson has gained 183 rushing and 232 passing over the 34 games. In an average game under Bowden the Tigers have averaged 29.4 points a game and scored four touchdowns. On average, the Tigers run the ball 44 times and throw it 32 times. Clemson has scored 131 touchdowns in the 34 games, nearly four per game. Nineteen of the 34 games Clemson has had at least 400 yards of total offense.

Hafley Sets Clemson Single Game Record…Again Clemson graduate defensive back Charles Hafley set a school record for tackles in a game by a defensive back in the Tigers 38-3 loss to North Carolina on Oct. 20 at Death Valley. Hafley was credited with 19 tackles in the contest on 11 first hits and eight assists. He topped that figure just a couple of weeks later with 20 tackles against Maryland.

Hafley now ranks second on the Clemson team and is among the ACC leaders in tackles with 113 through 10 games, an average of 11.3 per game. The South Carolina game was his sixth double figure tackle game this season and 12th of his career at Maryland. A year ago Hafley had 106 tackles, most ever by a strong safety and third best in Clemson history for a defensive back. He will obviously shatter that mark and could break former teammate Robert Carswell record for a DB (129). He and Carswell are the only defensive backs in Clemson history with two 100-tackle seasons.

Zachery Ranked 3rd in Career Scoring Record Clemson running back Travis Zachery is closing in on a number of milestones. The senior all-purpose running back has scored 46 touchdowns in his Clemson career, already a school record. He has 38 rushing and eight receiving and obviously needs four touchdowns to become the first Clemson player to reach 50 touchdowns.

Those touchdowns translate into scoring. He now has 276 points in his Clemson career and needs 26 to break Nelson Welch’s career record of 301. Welch was a placekicker for the Tigers from 1991-94. He booted a school record 72 field goals and added 85 extra points for his 301 total.

As you can see by the chart below, Zachery is third on the Clemson scoring list. He recently passes Chris Gardocki, who had 261 points. Gardocki will be inducted into the Clemson Athletic Hall of Fame on Feb. 1.

Zachery had his streak of 13 consecutive games with at least one touchdown rushing or receiving, snapped when he failed to score against North Carolina. That is the Clemson record for consecutive games with at least one score. He shattered the mark, as the previous best was a streak of nine straight games by Lester Brown, 1978-79. Zachery has 45 regular season touchdowns in his career. Only two ACC players in history have reached 50 touchdowns in regular season play. Five more TDs in the last five regular season games would give Zachery an even 50. The others to do it are Ted Brown, who had 51 for N.C. State between 1975-78, and Leon Johnson, who had 50 at North Carolina between 1993-96.

Zachery Approaching 3,000/1,000 Club Clemson senior running back Travis Zachery was listed among the preseason candidates for the Doak Walker Award. So far this year Zachery has 461 yards rushing and 363 yards receiving, giving him 824 yards from scrimmage. He has had five touchdowns rushing and got his second receiving at N.C. State for seven total touchdowns. Zachery now has 2,943 yards rushing in his career and 1,006 receiving. He topped the 1000-yard mark on his 100th career catch against South Carolina.

No Clemson player in history has had at least 3,000 yards rushing and 1,000 receiving. It is quite a difficult accomplishment, something only three players in ACC history have accomplished. The others to do it are Leon Johnson, a former running back from North Carolina (1993-96), Warrick Dunn of Florida State (1993-96), and Terry Kirby of Virginia (1989-92). Zachery needs 57 yards rushing to pull off the 3,000/1,000 double.

Zachery enters the Duke game with 2,943 career rushing yards, second best in school history. He moved ahead of Kenny Flowers on the all-time list in the win over N.C. State. Now, only Raymond Priester has more rushing yards than Zachery.

Zachery surpassed the 4,000-yard mark in all-purpose running in the loss to North Carolina. He now has 4,225 for his career, just the second Clemson runner to reach 4,000 yards. Raymond Priester is the career leader in all-purpose running with 4,282. Thus, Zachery needs just 58 all-purpose running yards to break Priester’s career record.

Dantzler Dazzling at N.C. State Clemson quarterback’s performance in the Tigers 45-37 victory in Raleigh is hard to put into words. It was the greatest combination of rushing and passing for a Clemson football player in history and ranks among the best in college football history.

How can we make such a statement? A look to the NCAA record book tells us that only one player in one game has ever had at least 300 yards passing and 200 yards rushing in the same game. Washington’s Marques Tuiasosopo had 302 yards passing and 207 rushing against Stanford on Oct. 30 ,1999, the only player in history to achieve the 300/200 in the same game.

At State, Dantzler passed for 333 and 184 net yards rushing. Had it not been for two sacks in the second quarter, one of 13 yards and another of 11, Dantzler would have joined Tuiasosopo in that exclusive club. As it was, Dantzler’s performance was the fifth best in ACC history in terms of total offense, and a Clemson record. The ACC mark is 554 yards of total offense by Rusty LaRue for Wake Forest against N.C. State in 1995. LaRue threw 78 passes in that game. Dantzler did more than just pick up yardage, he led the Tigers to six touchdowns. He ran for two and passed for four, and the six touchdowns combined broke the Clemson single game record that had stood since 1947. Dantzler tied the Clemson single game record for touchdown passes in a single game, a mark he now co-owns with his backup, Willie Simmons.

It was Dantzler’s top passing game as a Tiger, and in many ways the best by any Clemson quarterback. The graduate student from Orangeburg, SC completed 23-27 passes for 333 yards and four touchdowns. His passing efficiency rating of 237.6 was a Clemson record for a minimum of 20 attempts. His stats included a 79-yard pass to freshman Airese Currie, the longest pass play for the Tigers in five years.

Dantzler achieved the 517 yards of total offense one game and two weeks after gaining 418 yards in Clemson’s thrilling 47-44 win over a ninth ranked Georgia Tech team in Atlanta. Obviously it is the top total offense figure for consecutive games in Clemson history.

Here is a list of Clemson Records Dantzler Set in the win at N.C. State

Single game passing efficiency (Min 20 attempts)-237.58 Singlegame total offense-517 yards (333 passing, 184 rushing) Single gametouchdown responsibility-6 Tied single game touchdown passes-4Single game completion percentage (min 20 attempts)-.851 Careertotal offense-6,874 Career total offense vs. same team-1127 vs.N.C. State

Dantzler Now Owns 32 Clemson Records Dantzler on Clemson career Records Lists Rank/Category/Figure Left for Record

1st, quarterback rushing (2,569) has record 1st, completionpercentage (.575) has record 1st in touchdown responsibility (59)has record 1st in total offense (8,145) has record 1st in totalplays (1,310) has record 3rd in passing efficiency (128.1) 131.30rating points 2nd in completions (433) 26 completions 2nd inpassing yards (5,576) 144 yards 3rd in touchdown passes (33) 3 TDpasses Clemson Records Held by Dantzler (32) Single Game (8)Touchdown Responsibility-6 vs. N.C. State, 2001 Total Offense-517vs. N.C. State, 2001 Completion % (Min 20 attempts)-.851 vs. N.C.State, 2001 Completion % (Min 15 attempts)-.941 vs. The Citadel2000 Yards rushing by a quarterback-220 vs. Virginia, 2000 PassingEfficiency (Min 15 attempts)-247.2 vs. The Citadel, 2000 PassingEfficiency (Min 20 attempts)-237.6 vs. N.C. State, 2001 TouchdownPasses-#4 vs. N.C. State, 2001

Season (13)

Total offense-2,986, (2001) Quarterback rushing-1,028, (2000)100-yard rushing games by a quarterback-4 (2000, 2001) Touchdownsrushing and passing-24 (2000) 200-yard total offense games-9 (2000)300-yard total offense games-6 (2001) Consecutive 200-yard totaloffense games-7 (2000) Consecutive games throwing a TD pass-6(2000) 100-yard rushing, 300-yard total offense games-4 (2000,2001) Most yards rushing in series of 3 games-520 (2000) Most yardsrushing in series of 4 games-623 (2000) Most total offense/game inseason-298.6 (2001) Most total offense plays in season-478 (2001)

Career (11)

Completion percentage in career-.575 Total offense-8,145 Yardsrushing by a quarterback in a career-2,569 100-yard rushing gamesby a quarterback-10 Most total offense/game in career-220.1 Most300-yard total offense games in career-12 Most total offense incareer vs. one opponent-1,127 vs. N.C. State, 1999-01 Most 100-yardrushing, 300-yard total offense games in a career-10 Mosttouchdowns rushing and passing in a career-59 Most total offenseplays in a career (1,310) #Most 200-yard passing games (11) #tiedrecord

Dantzler Named National Player of the Week Clemson quarterback Woodrow Dantzler was named National Player of the Week by USA Today.com for his performance against Georgia Tech. Dantzler gained 418 yards of total offense in Clemson’s 47-44 victory at Atlanta, 164 rushing and 254 passing. He ran for two scores and threw for two. His 11-yard touchdown run on a quarterback draw on the last play of overtime gave the Tigers the victory.

Dantzler trumped that accomplishment with a 517 yard effort against N.C. State. He was named National player of the week by ESPN.com. He was also named the top player in the country for the first half of the season by CBS.Sportline.com and ESPN.com.

Dantzler’s performance against Georgia Tech marked the first time a Clemson player had won the National Player of the Week from USA Today.com. Dantzler was also the ACC Player of the Week according to the site, the third time in three years he has won that honor. He won it again for the N.C. State game, giving him four player of the week selections. He was the ACC Player of the Week according to the site in 1999 for his 435-yard performance against Maryland, and in 2000 when he led the Tigers to a 62-9 win over Missouri.

Dantzler was named National Player of the Week in 2000 by cnnsi.com for his performance at Virginia. He had 220 yards rushing, an all-time ACC record for a quarterback, and 154 passing in Clemson’s 31-10 win over the Cavs.

Dantzler is the first Tiger in history to be named a National Player of the Week three times. A Clemson player has been named National Player of the week 10 times in history, including Dantzler’s performance last week. Here is a listing:

Clemson Gained 500 Yards In Consecutive Road Wins Clemson had at least 500 yards in consecutive road wins over Georgia Tech and N.C. State. A 500-yard total offense game is certainly an accomplishment anywhere, but especially on the road. Clemson gained 502 yards at Georgia Tech and 567 at N.C. State in gaining consecutive victories. It marks the first time in Clemson history that the Tigers have had at least 500 yards in consecutive road games. The 567 yards gained at N.C. State were the most recorded on the road since 1903 when John Heisman coached Clemson to a 73-0 victory with 615 yards, all on the ground.

Clemson had one of its top offensive games in the Tommy Bowden era in the 47-44 win over Georgia Tech on Sept. 29. The Tigers gained 502 yards of total offense, third highest figure under Bowden and second best in an ACC game.

It marked just the second time in Clemson history that the Tigers had at least 500 yards of total offense against a top 25 team. The only other occasion came in 1983 when Clemson had 544 yards against an 11th ranked Maryland team in a 52-27 Clemson victory.

It was a balanced attack for the Tigers, perhaps the most balanced in Clemson history for a 500-yard performance. Clemson had 248 rushing and 254 passing in the contest. It marked just the fourth game in Clemson history that Clemson had at least 240 yards rushing and passing in the same game.

Clemson has now had four 500-yard total offense games under Tommy Bowden. Clemson is now 40-0-1 in its history when gaining at least 500 yards of total offense. The only non-victory came in 1991 when Clemson gained 511 yards in a 20-20 tie with Virginia.

Offensive Line Playing Well One of the reasons for Clemson’s success against Georgia Tech and N.C. State was the play of its offensive line. The veteran group includes three players who are graduates (Kyle Young and T.J. Watkins) and two red-shirt juniors (Gary Byrd and Akil Smith). They combined to help the Tigers gain 502 yards of total offense and scored seven touchdowns and 47 points in the victory. It was the most points Clemson has scored against Georgia Tech since a 73-0 Tiger victory in 1903. John Heisman was Clemson’s coach in that game.

The starting offensive line combined for 68 knockdown blocks in the game, high total for the season. In fact, the total against Georgia Tech was 20 more than the previous best of 48 knockdowns for the starting offensive line against Central Florida.

Four different starters had double figures in knockdown blocks in the game. T.J. Watkins led the way with 19, while Akil Smith had 17, more ever for a Clemson tackle. Center Kyle Young had 14 and Gary Byrd added 11. Smith was named ACC Offensive Lineman of the Week for the first time in his career. Will Merritt was the only Tiger who failed to reach double figures, but he had seven.

Clemson’s starting offensive line came back to get 58 knockdown blocks in the win at N.C. State. Kyle Young led the way with 19, while Will Merritt added 13 and Gary Byrd had 11.

Heading into the Duke game Kyle Young led the team in knockdown blocks with 128, breaking his record of 120 set last year. T.J. Watkins was second with 104, while Merritt was 94. Gary Byrd had picked up 81, while Akil Smith has 68.

Clemson’s Highest Ranked Wins The win for over ninth-ranked Georgia Tech was the highest ranked Clemson win regardless of site since 1981 when Clemson defeated fourth-ranked Nebraska in the Orange Bowl, a 22-15 victory that gave Clemson the National Championship.

Regardless of site, Clemson now has nine wins over top 10 teams in its history, three in Death Valley. Clemson has now had 21 wins over top 25 teams since 1986 and has had at least one ranked win in 14 of the last 15 seasons (including this season). The Tigers defeated Virginia, 33-14, in 1999 when the Cavs were ranked 19th (USA Today), then downed a 25th-ranked South Carolina team last year.

The win over Tech now assures that Tommy Bowden will have at least one ranked win in each of his first three years with the Tigers. The win over Tech was the fifth highest ranked win in school history.